Oakland Police releases video of vehicle that killed Dmitry Putilov
On Thursday afternoon, the Oakland Police Department released a video clip that showed the moments before a Deaf father and cyclist Dmitry Putilov was killed by a speeding car in front of his two young sons on June 16.
The clip ends right before the moment of impact. The video was released in an effort to identify the vehicle and the person who was driving it.
I will show you the clip, but I have to warn you that it is distressing.
[Clip showing Putilov on his bicycle with his two younger sons, who are also on bicycles. As Putilov turns to go across an intersection on 14th Street and Jefferson Street, a speeding black car quickly comes into the frame. The video pauses just before the black car makes an impact with Putilov.]
Clearly, a very heartbreaking video. It is fortunate that the car did not hit the sons. Putilov was 42 years old and his sons are 6 and 8 years old.
The mother of Putilov’s boys, Alena Putilov, told “The Oakland Side” that “while her ex-husband was on the ground the children shook him to try to revive him. He died later that night in the hospital.”
Oakland Police said the car was a 4-door Infiniti that did not stop and went westbound towards I-980. There is a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case.
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The Oakland Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong held a press conference after the release of the video. I will show you a clip.
Chief Armstrong: “… I’m hoping that if the public has seen that vehicle or knows who owns that vehicle that they bring that information forward but I’d also like to say for the person who was driving that car that you have caused a tremendous hurt and harm to this family and to this community. And the most appropriate thing in this incident is to actually turn yourself in and allow us to do our follow-up investigation to better understand the circumstances. We cannot think that this is okay. This is tragic and for two children to have to see this happen is devastating for all of us….”
The police chief said the video they showed is the best video of what happened. He said the department would continue to investigate by looking at whether other local businesses have videos to try and find who the driver is.
The Oakland City Council, after Putilov’s death, approved a project to redesign 14th Street to make it safer and will add protected bike lanes in the downtown area.
There is a GoFundMe set up to help the family of Putilov make arrangements for his cremation and memorial service. The link to the GoFundMe is in the transcript.
facebook.com/oaklandpoliceca
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Deaf-dad-on-bike-killed-in-Oakland-hit-and-run-17261864.php